Friday, November 21, 2014

Today I came across a piece of correspondence written by Charles Darwin in 1861. Many of us enjoy making a devil out of him. But, he was, after all, human. A man made in God's image whether or not we ever acknowledge it. This letter makes me think we could have been friends. I realize that may reveal a streak of depression and a fondness for bombast in myself, even so ....

...But I am Very Poorly today and very stupid & Hate Everybody and Everything. One Lives Only to Make Blunders. - I am going to write a Little Book for Murray on Orchids & today I HATE them worse than EVERYthing. So Farewell & in a Sweet FRAMEof mind I am Ever yours C. Darwin

HOWEVER, my orchid after refusing to bloom despite being babied for several years, has at last glutted itself with flowers. That is something to love about life. Or at least note.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Taking a short break from my ordinary. Yesterday, I finished
writing the next issue of Letters from the House Between. (Although it will be another three weeks before it gets
mailed out.) Wrapping always gives equal waves of relief, regrets for what I
wrote – never good enough –and the urge
to leave. Perhaps it’s a common feeling when something is completed, something
you pour yourself into, that you have a sense of
emptiness? To persuade myself not to pay much attention to that, I go to a
coffee shop. Lingering, then moving on to the next thing. Today it was
Patisserie 46. Denis dropped Anita and I off while he went on to Bethel
University to visit their library and book store, doing some research for a
project. I see why 46 gets raves – I had an almond croissant – never one this
flaky, melty-good – and a creamy almond latte. Feeling better.

Almond latte at Patisserie 46

We leave for Fort Lauderdale next week. Not vacation, but
work. We welcome this trip, though. It’s a chance to connect with people who
love the arts, are interested in creativity and how popular culture reflects
human longing for meaning. So if you are a friend who lives in the area, or
would like to BE our friend,join us in
discussion. I will be reflecting on the ordinary: how it carries traces of the
sacred (are you shocked? No?) and reading from God in the Sink. Denis will be giving lectures on film and how they
can give windows of insight into our culture. (His lectures are always prime.
Truly, I am his severest critic, trust me):

Tuesday Noon, November 11, I will be at Kenny Lunsford’s Book Club in Boca
Raton.

Tuesday Evening, November 11, we will be at Coral Ridge Church, Fort Lauderdale sharing an evening session.

Wednesday Morning, November 12, Dianne Garvin’s Book Club.

Wednesday Evening, November 12, New Covenant Church, Pompano
Beach, for their evening supper and service.

Please forgive my bumbling efforts to get a workable button
on the sidebar. It looks anything but professional. I can’t get the entire book
cover to show, just “the sink” part. You can still help launch this little book
into the world if you pre-order God in
the Sink now. It’s on sale for $9:95 until its release in mid-November. At
that rate, everyone you know could receive a copy for Christmas.Or for any reason, any time.

Book Sales

Hi Friends, Here is my Holiday (almost) Special!
God in the Sink $13.95 (includes shipping).
Order it for someone you love. Or someone you should love!
Thank you for helping launch this book. It wouldn't happen without you.
I would love to send a signed copy. Contact me at margiehaack@ gmail.com. online
Also available for $17.95 (includes shipping) The Exact Place: A Memoir
width:class="sqitem"href="https://squareup.com/market/margie-haack/god-in-the-sink">"God in the Sink" from Margie Haack

Toads Drink Coffee

Contributors

Coffee Favorite

Japanese Coffee art: "Kitty chasing fish latte."

Toads, etc.

For many years we lived in Toad Hall, an old American Gothic Foursquare house named for the mansion in Wind in the Willows although ours wasn’t really a mansion, the kids just thought it was. Now we live in a different home – one more suited to aging with dignity – yes, well, we can hope – The House Between. “Between” because we are living that stage of life between now and what is to come. Sound a little macabre? It’s not. We needed move to a space with main floor accessibility for older people who may not always be able to climb stairs to sleep and eliminate. We love this home in a quiet neighborhood with offices overooking the wooded ravine behind where we feed birds and watch coyotes play leap frog. We love knowing, too, that this is not our final place – there is more healing and goodness in the next life. I’ve kept the name of my blog toadsdrinkcoffee because I don’t know how to migrate to a new one. The name is now even more obscure, but it had to do with living in Toad Hall and my addiction to coffee. However, I did migrate my old publication – Notes From Toad Hall– to the new one Letters from the House Between.